Jeff Stram: second Mandolin on A Fine Place to Start and I’m Gone, Goodbye

Liner Notes:

This project began in 2000, though some of the songs were written even before then. I think the first was Rolling Blackout Blues; definitely the oddball of the collection being it’s a satire. The other songs developed over the course of a year or so, and quite honestly, as means to find my way through a “been there, done that” period of time. At the time, I was limited with what I could accomplish in the studio; and so I moved to completion feeling that most of the songs were left unfinished. By 2001, I released a CD of what is no doubt the first part of this now finally completed project.

The second half of this project began during the spring of 2014 and would not have been possible if not for the way the 2001 original tracks were mixed together. Luckily, there was a good amount of “space” remaining in the mastered tracks. This was important due to the fact that I did not have the separate tracks from the original recordings, only the final mixed and master CD to work with.

It has taken a long time for this project to finally arrive at completion. I am both happy and proud of where it now rests. My goal was to mix the 2014 tracks into the 2001 mastered album so that the large period of time that spans the two recording phases would not be apparent. I think I’ve succeeded and now I can finally sit back, enjoy, and know that it was indeed a Fine Place to Start. I hope that you do as well. - Rick